Windows Tutorial 3 Personalizing Your Windows Environment

® ®Microsoft Windows 7

Windows Tutorial 3

Personalizing Your Windows Environment

XPXPXPXPObjectives• Access desktop icons and gadgets on the

desktop• Create and use shortcuts on the desktop• Use the Control Panel• Customize the desktop• Activate a screen saver• Change display settings

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 2

XPXPXPXPObjectives• Manage the desktop with Aero tools• Pin items to and modify the taskbar• Customize taskbar toolbars• Change Start menu settings• Pin items on the Start menu

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 3

XPXPXPXPAccessing Common Tools on the Desktop

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 4

XPXPXPXPDisplaying Standard Desktop Icons• Right-click an empty area of the desktop,

then click Personalize on the shortcut menu• In the left pane of the Personalization window,

click Change desktop icons• In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, click to

select a check box for each icon you want to add to the desktop

• Click the OK button

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 5

XPXPXPXPDisplaying Standard Desktop Icons

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 6

XPXPXPXPUsing Windows Gadgets• Gadgets offer information at a glance and offer

similar tools to those you might find on a physical desk:–Calendar–Clock–CPU Meter–Currency– Feed Headlines

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 7

–Picture Puzzle–Slide Show–Weather–Windows Media Center

XPXPXPXPUsing Windows Gadgets• Right-click the desktop, and then click Gadgets

to display gadgets currently installed on your computer

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 8

XPXPXPXPUsing Shortcuts• You can create shortcuts to access drives,

documents, files, Web pages, programs, or other computer resources such as a printer

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 9

XPXPXPXPUsing Shortcuts

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 10

XPXPXPXPPersonalizing with the Control Panel• To open the Control Panel window, double-

click the Control Panel icon on your desktop. If the icon does not appear on your desktop, click the icon on the Start menu

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 11

XPXPXPXPPersonalizing with the Control Panel

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 12

XPXPXPXPPersonalizing with the Control Panel

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 13

XPXPXPXPSelecting a Theme• Open the Control Panel window and switch to

Category view, if necessary.• Click Appearance and Personalization.• Click Personalization.• Click a theme.

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 14

XPXPXPXPChanging the Desktop Background• Open the Control Panel• Click Appearance and Personalization• Click the Change desktop background link

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 15

XPXPXPXPChanging the Desktop Background

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 16

XPXPXPXPChanging Desktop Colors and Fonts• Windows Color and Appearance allows you to

change the properties of window elements• Click Window Color in the Personalization

window

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 17

XPXPXPXPActivating a Screen Saver• A screen saver blanks the screen or displays a

moving design whenever you haven’t worked with the computer for a specified period of time

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 18

XPXPXPXPChanging Display Settings• Screen resolution refers to the clarity of the

text and images on your screen– Items appear sharper and smaller at a

higher resolution

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 19

XPXPXPXPManaging the Desktop with Aero Tools

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 20

XPXPXPXPModifying the Taskbar• The taskbar contains three sections:– Start button– Middle section• Program buttons

– Notification area• Current time and date• Program icons• System status information

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 21

XPXPXPXPPinning Programs to the Taskbar• If the program is already running, right-click

the program button, and then click Pin this program to taskbar.

Or• If the program is not running, click the Start

button, locate the program in the Start menu, right-click the program icon, and then click Pin to Taskbar.

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 22

XPXPXPXPMoving and Resizing the Taskbar• Make sure the taskbar is unlocked. To unlock it,

right-click any blank spot on the taskbar, and then click Lock the taskbar on the shortcut menu to remove the check mark.

• To move the taskbar, click a blank spot on the taskbar, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the taskbar to a new location (the top, bottom, left, or right edge of the desktop).

• To resize the taskbar, point to a taskbar border until a resize pointer appears, and then drag the border to a different height or width.

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 23

XPXPXPXPMoving and Resizing the Taskbar

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 24

XPXPXPXPSetting Taskbar Appearance Properties• Right-click a blank area on the taskbar, and

then click Properties

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 25

XPXPXPXPWorking with Taskbar Toolbars• One way to customize the taskbar is to use it

to display toolbars

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 26

XPXPXPXPCreating a Custom Taskbar Toolbar• To create a custom toolbar, right-click a blank

area of the taskbar, point to Toolbars, and then click New toolbar

• In the New Toolbar − choose a folder window, click the folder or object you want to turn into a toolbar, and then click the Select Folder button

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 27

XPXPXPXPCustomizing the Start Menu• To customize the Start menu, right-click Start

button on the taskbar, then click Properties; click the Customize button

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 28

XPXPXPXPPinning an Item to the Start Menu

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 29

XPXPXPXPSelecting Start Menu Settings

New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7 30